Switch-stand.



J. W. STRAUGHAN.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1914.

1,099,627. Patented June 9,1914.

M 2 SHEBTS-SHEBT 1. r?-

Jamm /2% Inventor Witnesses by W 1 Attorneys Witne ses v by Z g 2 J. W. STRAUGHAN.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27. 1914.

1,099,627, Patented June 9, 1914.

2 SHEETS-$111131 2.

ventor Attorneys UNITED sTArnsr rEnT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM STRAUGHAN, OF PRATT, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JAMES WALTER MORGAN AND ONE-THIRD TO LOUIS ALBERT CASGI, BOTH OF PRATT, WEST VIRGINIA.

$WITCI-I-STANID.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented June 5), 1914:.

Application filed January 27, 1914. Serial No. 814,755.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Join? \V. SrnAUorIAN, a, citizen of the United States, residing at Pratt, in the county of lianawha and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Switch-Stand, of which the following is a. specification.

The present invention appertains to switch stands, and aims to provide a novel and improved contrivance of that character,

It is the object of the present invention to provide a switch stand embodying a unique locking mechanism for holding the switch points at one of a plurality of positions. and whereby the switch points may not be thrown by malicious or umvarranted persons.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a switch stand of the nature indicated, which may be readily and. conveniently manipulated by the switchman or brakeman, and which may be quickly and effectively locked.

It is also within the spirit of the present invention, to provide a device of the character specified, which will be comparatively simple, compact, durable and inexpensive in limiting the osclllatory or swinging moveconstruction, as well as being simple, conven1ent, practical and ellicient 1n its use.

VVlth the foregoing and other ob ects in View which will appear as the description l proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter dcscribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the inven- V l 18 engaged through the ears 15 and the el tion.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein z- Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch stand. the upper portion of the shaft being broken away. Fig. 2- is a side elevation of the appliance in open position. Fig. is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.. Fig. at is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line %l-il. of Fig. 1. l ig. 5 is a sectional view of the handle, on an enlarged scale, and illustrating the key-cow trolled look.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a base 1. which is adapted to be spiked or otherwise secured upon the end.

extended ends of the ties T of the rails R, the base 1 being of il -shape and comprising the body or straight portion 2, and the curved or arcuale portion The body portion 2 of the base is provided with a bearing -l: llltGl'll'lGCllittG its ends, and about which the portion 3 is curved as a center, the upright shatt't being journalcd through the bearing 1 -'-t and. carrying the usual signals shaft 5, a radial arm or lever .11 is keyed or other ise secured to the shaft 5 so as to seat upon. the hearing at, the free end of the. arm or lever 11 moving snugly upon an upstanding arcuate rib 12 provided upon the curved portion 3 of the base 1. At the ends of the rib 12 are stops or lugs 13 for ments of the arm or lever 11 when the switch points are thrown to either of their two po sitions respectively.

The arm or lever 11 is provided with a longitudinal slot let, and with upstanding pairs of cars 15 and 16 at the outer andv inner ends of the slot l t, and at the sides of the slot or the sides of the arm or lever 11. A bell crank or angular lever 17 has its elbow fulcrumed between the outer pair of ears 15, by means of a pivot or fulcrum pin bow of the lever 17, the lower or depending arm 19 of the lever 17 forming a latch engageable with notches 20 provided in the inner edge of the curved portion 3 of the base adjoining the stops 13. The arm 19 of the lever 17 is adapted to swing upwardly through the slot or opening 14:, and the said arm or latch 19 is engageable with the notches 20 when the shaft :3 is so swung as to move the switch points to their opposite positions, as will be obvious. The other or upper arm 21 of the, lever 17 forms the hon dle of the lever or arm 11, and is provided adjoining its free end, with upper laterally projecting ears or lugs 22 adapted to seat upon the cars 16 of the arm or lever 11, when the lever 17 is swung downwardly into engagement with the base 1 of the switch stand. The arm 21 of the locking lever 17 is equipped with a hand hold 23 at its free end for convenience in manipulating the device.

A lifting leaf spring 2% is secured upon the arm or lever 11 and projects between the ears 16, to raise the lever 17 slightly, when the said lever is freed or released from the arm or lever 11. The arm or handle 21 of the lever 17 is hollow, or in the form of a case, and houses a key-controlled lock 25, including the latches or catches 26 adapted to be projected through and retracted within the sides of the arm or handle 21, into and out of engagement with inner sockets or keepers 27 formed upon the ears 16. The latches have a separating spring 26 between them to project the latchets.

The key-hole 28 for the lock 25 is preferably formed in the top of the arm or handle 21, whereby ready access may be had to the look 25, by the proper key, a pivoted cap or cover 29 for the key-hole 28 being mounted upon the arm or handle 21 for normally closing the key-hole, which is desirable. As clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, the cap or face plate of the lock 25 may be disposed at the bottom of the arm or handle 21, so as to be shielded or protected, when the arm or handle 21 is swung upon the arm or lever 11.

In practice, the connecting rod or thrust member 8 for the switch points is so connected to the lower end of the shaft 5, that when the arm or lever 11 is swung to the ends of its respective strokes, the switch points will be moved to their opposite positions, as usual. Then the lever 17 is free, the same may be swung upwardly as seen in Fig. 2, for convenience in swinging or oscillating the arm or lever 11, to correspondingly oscillate the shaft for throwing the switch points back and forth. The free end of the arm or lever 11 rides upon the raised rib 12, to reduce friction, and to brace the arm or leverll against depression. When the arm or lever 11 is swung against either of the stops 13, the lever 17 may be swung downwardly, as seen in Fig. 3, so that the latch 19 thereof engages the corresponding notch or recess 20 of the base, and in order that the latches 26 of the lock may be snapped into engagement with the sockets 27 of the keeper ears 16 by the spring 26 Thus, the arm or lever 11 is locked in place, whereby it cannot be swung by malicious or unwarranted persons, without the employment of the proper key for opening the lock 25 to retract the latches 26 from the keeper ears 16, to enable the lever 17 to be thrown upwardly out of engagement from the base 1. Grdinarily, when switching, the lock 25 may be left open, the sprin 2 1 normally supporting the lever 17, slightly above its loc ring position, whereby the lever may be readily raised without the necessity of unlocking the latches 26. Then, when the switch points are finally set, the lever 17 may be depressed against the tension ofthe spring 24, to lock the lever 17 to the ears 16, as above intimated. .Vhen the latches 26 are released from the ears 16, the spring 245 will immediately lift or raise the lever 17, so that the latches 26 will not immediately reengage the cars 16 as soon as the key is withdrawn from the lock 25.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the handle or arm 21 is arranged to swing inwardly upon the arm or lever 11, when the switch stand is locked, and that the latch arm 19 is adapted to swing clownwardly within the base or the switch stand, which provides a suitable and eflicient arrangement.

In view of the foregoing, taken in con nection with the drawings, the several advantages and capabilities of the present switch stand will be obvious to those versed in the art, and further comment is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A- switch stand including a base, an oscillatory actuating lever mounted thereon, a handle pivoted to the free end of the lever and arranged to swing inwardly upon the same, interengageable means carried by the handle and base and adapted to interlock when the handle is swung upon the lever, and locking means for securing the handle to the lever.

2. A switch stand embodying a base, an

actuating lever mounted for oscillatory movements thereon, a handle pivoted to the lever and arranged to swing inwardly upon the same, the handle having a latch, and the base having portions to be engaged by the latch when the handle is swung upon the lever, and locking means for holding the handle against the lever.

3. A switch stand embodying a base having a curved portion provided with inner notches, an oscillatory actuating lever mounted upon the base and having its free end movable upon said curved portion, a handle pivoted to the lever and having a depending latch arm engageable with the notches of the said curved portion of the base when the handle is swung against the lever, and locking means for securing the handle in place against the lever.

at. A switch stand embodying a base having an arcuate portion, the arcuate portion having an upstanding arcuate rib and stops at the ends of the rib, and the said arcuate portion of the base having inner notches adjoining the stops, an oscillatory actuating arm mounted upon the base and having its free end movable upon the said rib to swing between the said stops, a handle pivoted to the free end of the arm and having an angu lar latch arm engageable into the said notches when the handle is swung against the said arm and when the arm is swung against the respective stops, and locking means for securing the handle in place against the lever.

5. A switch stand embodying a base, an oscillatory actuating arm mounted thereon, a handle pivoted to the arm and arranged to swing thereagainst, interengageable means carried by the handle and base and an ranged to interlock when the handle is swung against the arm, a key-controlled lock for locking the handle against the arm, and yieldable lifting means disposed between the arm and handle for swinging the handle away from the arm, when released.

('3. A switch stand embodying a base, an oscillatory actuating lever mounted thereon, a handle pivoted to the free portion of the lever and arranged to swing against the lever, the handle having a latch arm, and the base having means for receiving the latch arm when the handle is swung against the lever, a key-controlled lock for locking the handle against the lever, and yieldable lifting means disposed between the lever and handle for lifting the handle from the lever when the handle is released.

7. In a switch stand, a base, an oscillzu tory actuating lever mounted thereon and having a longitudinal slot and upstanding pairs of cars at the outer and inner ends of the slot, an angular lever having its elbow fulcrumed between the outer pair of ears, one arm of the angular lever constituting a latch arranged to swing through the said slot, the base having means for receiving the said latch when the other arm of the angular lever is swung against the actuat ing lever, the inner ears of the actuating lever being arranged to receive the second mentioned arm of the angular lever when it is swung against the actuating lever, the second mentioned arm of the angular lever constituting a handle, and a key-controlled lock carried by said handle and including means for engaging the said inner ears.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WVILLIAM STRAUGHAN.

Witnesses SELINA lVILLSON, I. E. SIMrsoN.

Uopics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, D. (2. 

